Diversity is now becoming a key concern within classrooms nowadays due to the diverging and increasing changes happening in society. Seeing this, there is an increasing responsibility among educators to consistently align with these trends and come with values that can facilitate and further new perspectives to embrace this reality. These goes hand-in-hand with the way culture has shaped the way people perceive reality and what actions have been made to address these things. With the challenges of today’s society, there remains a relevant aspect in honing and generating inputs towards adherence to diversity and multiculturalism happening in the classroom. Thus, it is by creating these new inputs and fostering dynamics towards increased interaction, it can help provide greater competency and capacity for schools to administer an educational environment that is encompassing and facilitative towards the needs of all regardless of variations in culture, beliefs, religion and race.
Ethnographic Observations
Having the capacity to watch films such as (1) Dead Poets Society, (2) Freedom Writers, and (3) Take the Lead, common perspectives related to education, diversity, and culture can be deduced. Though each one may have a corresponding theme that is rather different from the other two, these three movies possess the same characteristics and perspectives as it tackles key issues relating to multicultural education, status quo, and its relationship with facets associated with culture such as roles, norms, perceptions, and values.
Reflecting on the film Dead Poets Society, it can be seen that the main idea supplied by the director and writers revolve around the idea of transcendence and growth from the common perception of what is right or wrong. Here, it challenges the nature of the status quo and seeks to justify individualism, freedom, and equality. Despite the current institutional obstacles to achieving this objective, John Keating remained beneficial in instilling these characteristics among his students as they tread the path of life knowing that they can become and aspire whatever they want to be without the hindrances of social customs and traditions as long as it is in the right path.
Another essential observation made about this film is its relatively revolutionary approach to change. It presents numerous symbols and metaphors used by the characters to implicitly induce the idea of how man can aspire to overcome obstacles that they deem not fit anymore at the present time. It is this rather radical standpoint that made its mark among viewers within the story. It is the ability of John Keating to instill the ability to exercise freedom amidst social standards remains a key issue within the educational sector today.
The same observation can be seen with the film ‘Freedom Writers’. It revolves around the plight of one educator to make a difference in a class that is believed to be ‘hopeless’ and relatively considered deviant in American education. Here, one key observation that is made revolves around how the American educational sector only perceives to provide a sub-standard approach among those who are failing. This then poses a question of prejudice and biased view among those who can gain access to these accordingly.
However, the character of Erin Gruwell to stand up against all odds made the big difference in the story. The cultural assumptions presented in the story constitute an attempt to bridge in the gaps that are happening between the rich and the majority of the school population. It presents an educational philosophy that is centered on giving each student the ability to capitalize on their capacity to learn and seek out the motivation for doing so. In addition, there are also the corresponding symbols that actively denote the capacity to induce changes. Thus, it sought to highlight how minorities (Hispanics, African Americans, and Asians) can all become the necessary determinants for change.
The last one involves the ability of Pierre Dulaine to see the ability of people regardless of the many negative labels society has imposed on them. This story is one indicator of how education regardless if it’s academic or the one that pertains to the arts can become an important determinant for building character. What matters in this situation revolves around the condition that continuously shapes the ability of the person to develop and learn accordingly. In addition, it reflects on the capacity of people to become susceptible towards common conditions associated with education. It becomes a question of capabilities, race, and social standing.
Despite these realizations, Pierre Dulaine made efforts to showcase a leadership that is facilitative and adherent to student needs. He was able to use these as tools to further and generate key influences that transcended over common notions and boundaries of growth. It is by assuming that culture can become not a hindrance but an instrument in creating new inputs; he was able to generate renewed optimism that anything can be possible once there is the desire and motivation to learn. That is why Pierre Dulaine was able to go over the common misconceptions and perspectives about race and gender in the field of dance.
Analysis of Key Themes: Educational Leadership
One theme that remains prevalent within this sector involves the application and usage of educational leadership by each character in the film (Keating, Dulaine, Gruwell). The overall idea of educational leadership remains to be a key force in generating the necessary motivation and stimulus in transcending over conventional norms and seeking change. Seeing this, the idea of culture may remain to be prevalent in each film. However, it is by initiating and recognizing its impact and aligning them as an instrument for facilitation can become an effective counterpart in enacting change (Koppelman and Goodhart, 2005). Like the Dead Poets Society Club, the English individual journals, and night dance lessons, all these cannot be supplemented without the proper leadership and value towards each member.
In addition, there is also the desire to become an instrument for overcoming the common notions and status quo. The idea of identifying each character’s educational leadership styles comes with the understanding that there needs to be change implemented within the educational sector. All of them share the same sentiment that to achieve this responsibility, they had to stand up and take the lead regardless challenges and obstacles along the way.
In trying to achieve this kind of educational leadership, careful considerations must be made in the current situation and environment and how it actively relates towards the educational sector and among the student population as well. For this endeavor to become fully maximized and becomes sporadic in its orientation, educators need to create and develop new strategies that can facilitate and harness new dimensions towards change. This can be done by infusing key leadership strategies and promoting perspectives that can create skills related to becoming dynamic and adaptive to current trends of the educational sector (Mellon, 2004).
Challenging the Status Quo, Social Institutions, and Norms
Another key theme present within the three stories involves advocating the need to challenge the status quo, social institutions and norms in achieving the change that they desire. These elements becomes crucial because it opens up dynamics and instills new parameters in not only shaping policies and approaches relatively deviant to the current system but also in harnessing new inputs and reactions to the individuals (students) that it subjects to prejudice and discrimination.
Likewise, this situation goes together with the idea of identifying what sectors needed to be improved. In every institution, there shall always be problems needed to be resolved. The challenge for each member to determine which one and what appropriate strategies can be made for it to become supplemental and adherent to the current situations happening in the environment (Wakefield et.al, 2003). Seeing this, for the avenue of change to become greatly manifested results in the capacity to infuse and adhere to ones capacity to become involved in the issue in-depth and respond to each of these challenges accordingly.
Analyzing this situation, the three characters did indeed recognize that the predominantly conceived notion of reality remains rooted in prejudice and misconceptions about certain groups. However, the process of education and learning should not be that way. It must rather become responsible in shaping and influencing dynamics that are relatively equal for all (Mellon, 2004). Though culture may become an essential component for this, the idea of embracing cultural transformation and change resounds on the ability of the recognition and awareness that these changes actively correspond to the needs by all and not a few (Koppelman and Goodhart, 2005).
Due to this, the fundamental aspect of generating change revolves around the capacity of motivating and inducing the appropriate value for practice. In the educational field, it does not necessarily mean adherence to standards, rather it is the awareness of how to align these standards, ideologies, and practices to teaching (Wakefield et.al, 2003). It is the recognition of these parameters that makes the teaching encompass the usual standards and cultural biases. In turn, it permeates an approach that is highly responsible and accountable to the needs of individuals, the community, and society as a whole (Mellon, 2004).
To conclude, identity and culture remains an essential part in facilitating educational goals. However, they can pose a challenge especially if it defeats the purpose of establishing the norms and values that it tries to promote. The observation and analysis made on the three films clearly indicate the presence of challenges and problems within the educational sector. Seeing this, there is a clear indication for the need to amend and infuse better ways to challenge and approach the current obstacles within the educational system. These would need a leadership strategy that both involves not only the ability to transcend over common notions and culture but also providing an alternative dynamic that can lead towards a practice that is responsible and adaptive towards the needs of the educational sector today.
Ethnographic Observations
Having the capacity to watch films such as (1) Dead Poets Society, (2) Freedom Writers, and (3) Take the Lead, common perspectives related to education, diversity, and culture can be deduced. Though each one may have a corresponding theme that is rather different from the other two, these three movies possess the same characteristics and perspectives as it tackles key issues relating to multicultural education, status quo, and its relationship with facets associated with culture such as roles, norms, perceptions, and values.
Reflecting on the film Dead Poets Society, it can be seen that the main idea supplied by the director and writers revolve around the idea of transcendence and growth from the common perception of what is right or wrong. Here, it challenges the nature of the status quo and seeks to justify individualism, freedom, and equality. Despite the current institutional obstacles to achieving this objective, John Keating remained beneficial in instilling these characteristics among his students as they tread the path of life knowing that they can become and aspire whatever they want to be without the hindrances of social customs and traditions as long as it is in the right path.
Another essential observation made about this film is its relatively revolutionary approach to change. It presents numerous symbols and metaphors used by the characters to implicitly induce the idea of how man can aspire to overcome obstacles that they deem not fit anymore at the present time. It is this rather radical standpoint that made its mark among viewers within the story. It is the ability of John Keating to instill the ability to exercise freedom amidst social standards remains a key issue within the educational sector today.
The same observation can be seen with the film ‘Freedom Writers’. It revolves around the plight of one educator to make a difference in a class that is believed to be ‘hopeless’ and relatively considered deviant in American education. Here, one key observation that is made revolves around how the American educational sector only perceives to provide a sub-standard approach among those who are failing. This then poses a question of prejudice and biased view among those who can gain access to these accordingly.
However, the character of Erin Gruwell to stand up against all odds made the big difference in the story. The cultural assumptions presented in the story constitute an attempt to bridge in the gaps that are happening between the rich and the majority of the school population. It presents an educational philosophy that is centered on giving each student the ability to capitalize on their capacity to learn and seek out the motivation for doing so. In addition, there are also the corresponding symbols that actively denote the capacity to induce changes. Thus, it sought to highlight how minorities (Hispanics, African Americans, and Asians) can all become the necessary determinants for change.
The last one involves the ability of Pierre Dulaine to see the ability of people regardless of the many negative labels society has imposed on them. This story is one indicator of how education regardless if it’s academic or the one that pertains to the arts can become an important determinant for building character. What matters in this situation revolves around the condition that continuously shapes the ability of the person to develop and learn accordingly. In addition, it reflects on the capacity of people to become susceptible towards common conditions associated with education. It becomes a question of capabilities, race, and social standing.
Despite these realizations, Pierre Dulaine made efforts to showcase a leadership that is facilitative and adherent to student needs. He was able to use these as tools to further and generate key influences that transcended over common notions and boundaries of growth. It is by assuming that culture can become not a hindrance but an instrument in creating new inputs; he was able to generate renewed optimism that anything can be possible once there is the desire and motivation to learn. That is why Pierre Dulaine was able to go over the common misconceptions and perspectives about race and gender in the field of dance.
Analysis of Key Themes: Educational Leadership
One theme that remains prevalent within this sector involves the application and usage of educational leadership by each character in the film (Keating, Dulaine, Gruwell). The overall idea of educational leadership remains to be a key force in generating the necessary motivation and stimulus in transcending over conventional norms and seeking change. Seeing this, the idea of culture may remain to be prevalent in each film. However, it is by initiating and recognizing its impact and aligning them as an instrument for facilitation can become an effective counterpart in enacting change (Koppelman and Goodhart, 2005). Like the Dead Poets Society Club, the English individual journals, and night dance lessons, all these cannot be supplemented without the proper leadership and value towards each member.
In addition, there is also the desire to become an instrument for overcoming the common notions and status quo. The idea of identifying each character’s educational leadership styles comes with the understanding that there needs to be change implemented within the educational sector. All of them share the same sentiment that to achieve this responsibility, they had to stand up and take the lead regardless challenges and obstacles along the way.
In trying to achieve this kind of educational leadership, careful considerations must be made in the current situation and environment and how it actively relates towards the educational sector and among the student population as well. For this endeavor to become fully maximized and becomes sporadic in its orientation, educators need to create and develop new strategies that can facilitate and harness new dimensions towards change. This can be done by infusing key leadership strategies and promoting perspectives that can create skills related to becoming dynamic and adaptive to current trends of the educational sector (Mellon, 2004).
Challenging the Status Quo, Social Institutions, and Norms
Another key theme present within the three stories involves advocating the need to challenge the status quo, social institutions and norms in achieving the change that they desire. These elements becomes crucial because it opens up dynamics and instills new parameters in not only shaping policies and approaches relatively deviant to the current system but also in harnessing new inputs and reactions to the individuals (students) that it subjects to prejudice and discrimination.
Likewise, this situation goes together with the idea of identifying what sectors needed to be improved. In every institution, there shall always be problems needed to be resolved. The challenge for each member to determine which one and what appropriate strategies can be made for it to become supplemental and adherent to the current situations happening in the environment (Wakefield et.al, 2003). Seeing this, for the avenue of change to become greatly manifested results in the capacity to infuse and adhere to ones capacity to become involved in the issue in-depth and respond to each of these challenges accordingly.
Analyzing this situation, the three characters did indeed recognize that the predominantly conceived notion of reality remains rooted in prejudice and misconceptions about certain groups. However, the process of education and learning should not be that way. It must rather become responsible in shaping and influencing dynamics that are relatively equal for all (Mellon, 2004). Though culture may become an essential component for this, the idea of embracing cultural transformation and change resounds on the ability of the recognition and awareness that these changes actively correspond to the needs by all and not a few (Koppelman and Goodhart, 2005).
Due to this, the fundamental aspect of generating change revolves around the capacity of motivating and inducing the appropriate value for practice. In the educational field, it does not necessarily mean adherence to standards, rather it is the awareness of how to align these standards, ideologies, and practices to teaching (Wakefield et.al, 2003). It is the recognition of these parameters that makes the teaching encompass the usual standards and cultural biases. In turn, it permeates an approach that is highly responsible and accountable to the needs of individuals, the community, and society as a whole (Mellon, 2004).
To conclude, identity and culture remains an essential part in facilitating educational goals. However, they can pose a challenge especially if it defeats the purpose of establishing the norms and values that it tries to promote. The observation and analysis made on the three films clearly indicate the presence of challenges and problems within the educational sector. Seeing this, there is a clear indication for the need to amend and infuse better ways to challenge and approach the current obstacles within the educational system. These would need a leadership strategy that both involves not only the ability to transcend over common notions and culture but also providing an alternative dynamic that can lead towards a practice that is responsible and adaptive towards the needs of the educational sector today.
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